Cash register



Nov. 1-2, 1935. w, ROBERTSON 2,020,574

CASH REGISTER Original Filed Jan. 10, 1930 a! in IIIIIIIII. m

I IIIIIIIIII Ismaefltor William H. Robertson y Hi: attorney Patented Nov. 12, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CASH REGISTER Original application January 10, 1930, Serial No.

Divided and this application October 28, 1933, Serial No. 695,651

2 Claims.

This invention relates to registers and like machines and more particularly refers to improvements in machines of the type disclosed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,816,263 issued to William H. Robertson on August 4, 1931, and in application for Letters Patent of the United States Serial Nos. 169,583, 172,660 and 303,250 filed February 19, 1927, March 4, 1927, and August 31, 1928, respectively by William H. Robertson; and is a division of the application for United States Letters Patent of William H. Robertson Serial No. 419,938 filed January 10, 1930.

The main object of this invention is to provide a novel interlocking feature between the keys in what is known in the art as a divided or split bank of keys.

More specifically it is an object of this invention to provide novel means in a divided or split bank of keys to compel the depression of a certain one of the keys before any of the remaining keys in that bank can be depressed.

Another object of this invention is to provide a plurality of shiftable detent bars associated with a divided or split bank of keys which detent bars coact with one another in such a manner as to cause a key associated with one bar to be released upon depression of a key which coacts with the other bar.

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention includes certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts the essential elements of which are set forth in appended claims and a preferred form of embodiment of. which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawing which accompanies and forms part of this specification.

In said drawing:

Fig. l is a detail view in right elevation of the divided or one-half cent key bank.

Fig. 2 is view partly in section and partly in front elevation taken generally on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the split detent bar associated with the keys in the divided or onehalf cent key bank.

Detailed description The machine to which the present invention is adapted to be applied is used to issue postage permits for the United States mail. It frequently happens that the amount of postage required ends in a fraction of a cent usually one-half cent. Therefore, a half-cent key is provided in the ma-- chine of the present invention to effect the registration of such fractional amount. The onehalf cent key 4| (Fig, 1) is located in the 5 position in the bank of keys shown in Fig. 1.

This bank of keys is what is known in the art as a divided or split bank. This key 4| is slidably mounted in a key frame 8| supported on cross 5 rods BI and 62. A spring (not shown) coiled about the shank of this key restores it to its normal undepressed condition and retains it in such position.

When the half-cent key is depressed, a key pin 10 82 (Figs. 1 and 3) in the shank thereof engages the beveled edge of a shouldered projection 83 on a flexible detent bar 84 and cams this bar downwardly until the pin 82 has passed the shoulder on the projection 83 whereupon a spring 85 draws the detent bar upwardly and engages the shoulder on the projection 83 over the key pin 82 to retain the key 4| in its depressed position. The detent bar 84 is slotted for slidable mounting on supporting studs 86 and 81 projecting from the 0 frame 8|.

Additional keys 42 and 43 known as the insured key and the C. O. D. key respectively are also similarly mounted to slide in the key frame 8|. The key pin 88 on the shank of. the insured key 42 and the key pin 89 on the shank of the C. O. D. key 43 cooperate with shouldered projections 95 on a slotted detent bar 96 shorter than and arranged beside the bar 84 and slidably mounted on the stud 86 and on a supporting stud 91 also projecting from the key frame 8|.

When one of the keys 42 or 43 is depressed the pin 88 or 89 depending upon which key is depressed cams the short auxiliary detent bar 96 downwardly until the key pin on the particular key depressed has passed the shoulder on the projection 95 cooperating therewith, whereupon a spring 98 draws the auxiliary detent bar 96 upwardly to engage the shoulder over the key pin on the shank of the depresssed key to hold the key in its depressed position. The upper end of the auxiliary detent bar 96 under the influence of the spring 98 normally abuts a stop stud 99 projecting laterally from the main detent bar 84. When one of the keys 42 or 43 is depressed its 45 key pin 88 or 89 operating against the shouldered projection 95 moves the auxiliary detent bar 96 downwardly thereby shifting its upper end from contact with the stud 99. If after a key 42 or 43 is depressed the one-half cent key 4| is depressed, the stud 82 thereon acting on the beveled edge of its shouldered projection 83 moves the main detent bar 84 downwardly far enough to cause the stop stud 99 to impinge against the end of the auxiliary detent bar 96 and shift this auxiliary bar still Iarther downwardly a distance suificient to remove the shouldered projection 95 from engagement with the pin 88 or 89 of the depressed key 42 or 43 thereby releasing such key to the action of its restoring spring.

This feature makes it necessary to depress the one-half cent key 4! before depressing either the insured key 42 or the C. O. D. key 43 when registering transactions involving an insured or C. O. D. parcel when the amount of the postage ends in a fraction of a cent.

A locking bar I09 is provided for the keys in the divided bank to lock the one-half cent key 4!, the insured key 42, 'and the C. O. D. key

43 against depression or release during operations in the machine. The locking bar I00 is moved upwardly at the instant the machine is released by a bail I23 which contacts a swinging arm 296 forked to embrace a stud 291 on the locking bar I00 and shift the locking bar upwardly to engage hooked projections l0! on the locking bar I00 beneath the pin or pins of the undepressed key or keys and over the pin or pins of the depressed key or keys to look all of the keys in the positions occupied when the machine is released for operation.

Near the end of the operation both the flexible detent bar 84 is moved downwardly by the restoring arm 32'! engaging a stud 328 in said bar in the manner fully described in the parent case, and the locking detent bar I00 is moved downwardly by the spring 70, to release the depressed keys which immediately restore to their normal positions under the influence of their individual springs, and to free the undepressed keys so that they may be depressed preparatory to the next operation. When the main detent bar 84 is moved downwardly the stud 99 thereon contacts the end of the short auxiliary detent bar 96 and carries this detent bar therewith to release the keys 42 or 43 if depressed. The springs 85 and 98 then restore their respective detent bars 84 and 96 to their normal positions.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form of embodiment herein described for it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the class described; the combination with a plurality of groups of keys; and a plurality of detent bars, one for each group of keys to retain the keys in depressed position; of a projection on one of the detent bars adapted, when said bar is moved to release the depressed key in its group of keys, to move the other detent bar; and means separate from the keys to actuate the detent bar carrying the projection.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a single row of keys; a plurality of shiftable detent bars associated therewith, certain keys coacting with one of said detent bars, and the remaining key coacting with another of such detent bars; and means on one of such bars extending across the other of said bars to shift the latter and release the key associated therewith when a key coacting with the first named detent bar is depressed.

WILLIAM H. ROBERTSON. 

